The Pennsylvania Department of Health has revised the immunization requirements for school-aged students effective August 2017. These regulations are intended to ensure that children attending school in the commonwealth are adequately protected against potential outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Highlights of the revision

• Changing the 8-month provisional period for immunizations with the new requirement of a 5-day provisional period. Prior to August 2017, a parent had 8 months to complete all required immunizations. This is called provisional enrollment.
• As of August 2017, a school-aged child must have all immunizations completed within the first 5 days of school. If the student is in the middle of a series and it is too soon for the next dose, the parents must provide the school nurse with a plan for immunizations (signed by a health care provider) within the first 5 days. If the student has incomplete immunizations and no medical plan, the student will be excluded from school.
• These requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reasons, religious beliefs, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction. If your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be removed from school during an outbreak.

Children in ALL grades (K-12) need the following immunizations for attendance:

• 4 doses of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (1 dose on or after 4th birthday) (DTaP) 
• 4 doses of polio (4th dose on or after 4th birthday and at least 6 months after previous dose given) (IPV) 
• 2 doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) 
• 3 doses of hepatitis B (Hep B) 
• 2 doses of varicella (chickenpox) or evidence of immunity (History of chickenpox or antibody titer) 

7th through 12th Grade ADDITIONAL immunization requirements for attendance:

• 1 dose of tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis (Tdap) 
• 2 doses meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) 
  • First dose prior to entry into 7th grade 
  • A second dose is required at age 16 or prior to entry into 12th grade. If the student has already received the first dose after age 16, only one dose is required.

Resources

PADOH School Immunizations
PA State Law and Regulations
Required Vaccinations for School (En Espanol)
School Immunization Rates

Articles, Videos, Blogs, other news sources for Website and Social Media Posting

Facebook - MCIC
Kalyn Roberts – KYW News Radio
Montco officials update school immunization regulations (The Times Herald)
Nuevos Requisitos De Vacunas En Pennsylvania (Telemundo)